Colorado State Football: Players Weekly Press Conference - Week 1 (2024)

can you talk about the difference between going to Michigan as a young team two years ago and what this team is built like as you head into Texas um the biggest difference I'd say like the spiritual level of this team and how close we're bonding how close we are to God like we want to give all the glory to God in this whole entire season give the glory to Jesus Christ like we are we are very very tight as a group right now and you know we're going down to to a good opponent a great opener great team and we're we just feel so much closer together as one unit we're stronger faster better mental better physically better spiritually and we just have the best leader of all leading us which is Jesus so that's that's something that we just been preaching as a team everybody's really on board um and we just feel very close and connected as a team going into this into this game into this season so like two years ago you just feel like a bunch of going to the big house and then this year you feel like a real team yeah I mean this know expect I've been here for a long time and just the team just the how everybody's bonding gluing together um it's just special you know I'm proud of the guys lot of we've been putting in a lot of work um proud of proud of my teammates proud of my coaches um proud of this guy right here you know everybody's just kind of taking the next step of of just acting like professional and and just doing things the right way way BR for you just what's the feeling like you know this week um going into your you've started a lot games what your first season opener right I mean it's awesome I'm excited I think I think what Hank touched on is the most important especially this off season we've really leaned into the spiritual side of it and so understanding who we're playing for and why we're playing and that's Jesus Christ ultimately um is a huge aspect of this game especially as a Season O as my first one um I spent a lot of time this offseason getting prepared getting ready for this game I think the the mood is where it needs to be the team's ready we've we understand our assignment our job and we know we need to go in there and just execute and it should turn out the way we want it to Texas obviously being a playoff team last year this will be a really big test for you guys week one just to kind of set the season off there is that EX is it nerve-racking or what are you really looking at this Texas game I I see it as an opportunity it's a huge opportunity obviously it's awesome to get in there and go um test your skill see where your team's at with a great opponent in Texas and so I think we're all excited to go down there and get the chance to play them and see where we're at where do you think you guys are at I think we're at the level we need to be to be very competitive and come home with what we know we should what are you seeing from and you feel about going up against him and his receivers I know it's going to be it's going to be a fun game you know they got some good players over there they got a good good program and everything and you know it's just it's just like any game you prepare you prepare the same way um whether you're playing you know Northern Colorado Texas like you go into it with the same level of preparation just working on your keys just just understanding the flow of the game um and it's good it's like it's good to play the best the best players and that's that's what we want as a program we want to go up against the best and that's how we're going to get better as a team just showcase what we what we can do and it's gonna be a really fun game playing against some good players J announced that after the seasoner the shoulder injury obviously that's disappointing but how big is it that Vince Brown has kind of really emerged throughout this Camp I think it's huge I mean obviously it's a huge bummer not having one of our guys like he's one of the boys to the team he's not just a face to us he's not just a player he's one of our guys and so it's really hard seeing someone go through something like that and understanding that he's not going to get an opportunity this season but for Vince I mean it's huge we all saw what he did in Fall Camp he really emerged and performed the way he should be and so I'm super excited for Vince I know he's gonna do his job and uh yeah excited to where see where it goes on Saturday Jackson's obviously one of your roommates just how have you seen him kind of respond since finding out you know you guys teammates ESS keep hiss up keep them locked in through a time I mean obviously it's a bummer like I said like you can't can't do anything about it there's there's no way to make it any better and so um really just encouraging him with a lot of stuff I mean encouraging him to press into the Lord has really been the biggest thing uh because that's where you find true health and encouragement and so uh just kind of helping him out being there for him when he needs someone to talk to and but he's been in positive Spirits he's not down at all and so the boys are just ring around him and trying to be there for him you guys have talked a lot about spirituality being a big part of kind of what you guys are doing right now is there something or someone specifically that sparked that like where where is that kind of come from um I can answer that so Pastor Square he's our team Pastor done a phal job at um kind of bringing this team together and been meeting with us doing Bible studies we have some spiritual leaders on the team Aiden Hector Jack how Chase Wilson um and a lot of other guys I mean it's not just those guys I mean it's kind of just caught fire in the locker room and we feel the spirit um and it's just something awesome to that we all are kind of it it makes us closer and it makes us closer to the Lord together and you know it it's it's different for everybody everybody's kind of at a different spot and and that's okay and everybody has different views and opinions but we're all just trying to give the glory to God and and that's something that we've been working towards as a team and like Pastor Square does an does an amazing job with us um just preparing our preparing our spirit and just giving us spiritual meals and kind of just denying our denying our fleshly desires and and just trying to really really be closer to God and that's something that as a team that we're we're really working on and that's like as we go on throughout the season like that's just that's going to be our our our message continuing on both of you during Camp had the chance to have the inhalent communication in your ear I'm curious what's it been like for both of you how big of an assist do you find it to be or not I mean from my perspective it makes everything more efficient it's it's pretty awesome just being able cover every ear and you're basically on the phone with coach and so you you can relay stuff really quickly make huddles a lot more efficient and kind of I've noticed the offense moves pretty smooth when we're able to just I hear some from coach relay it to the offense and we're going you ever wish you could communicate back yes 100% what's it been like for you and how's it used defensively um defensively I mean I'm not usually Green Dot guy but um you know the the linebackers have been doing a really good job communicating it gives you know them Banks coach Banks an opportunity to um you know give us if he if he needs to make a call quick or make a little Quick Check they've been doing a good job like I think Chase Chase is the Green Dot guy going into game one and so that'll be that'll just be good he does a great job at it it just makes communication easier for us and realistically it's it's the same as getting a call so we've been trying to just focus on communicating everybody everybody communicating not just the Green Dot guy everybody's talking every single play we're all locked into our key locked into emotions adjustments shifts everything that we need to see before the snap all the communication we need to have before the snap it it's been really good and we got guys like who usually aren't big talkers like now they're starting to come along and be able to see see formations and make adjustments it's really awesome like do Dominic Morris like last year I mean I'd have to tell him what to do every play and now he's over here giving me calls like and that's something that's great to see just the development of everybody on the defense like we're all really locked into what what we need to do and and what we need to adjust to is it a lot louder grp like just from watching practices I don't know it just seems like more often than I recall in the past I just hear a lot of chat or free snap absolutely and that's something coach Banks has been really emphasizing and our whole defense has been emphasizing just community communicating like that's really important we're all on the same page so before the snap nobody's going to be wondering what's what's about to happen like we're all making alerts making checks and everybody's now starting to do it and it's really go it's really cool to see guys kind of develop into like a more vocal uh role on the on the on the field you said there be times you would like to talk back to coach or times you like to turn that off I I I say yes jok and but no I think I I think the more communication I can have with Coach the better I mean he sees it from a different perspective than I do and it's always good to have another perspective and so when I able to have Coach who's been coaching for Lord knows how many years in my ear during the game it's honestly a blessing also a couple weeks ago he came in here and describ you as a bny roer have you ever heard that before do you even know what that is I have no idea what that is roer the two off last year changes just now at two minute War timeout do you have any thoughts on that is it kind of comforting maybe having just knowing you have another stage in your back pocket I mean I I think we haven't played a game with it yet so it'll be I'll have a better answer for you after the fact but I think it it'll definitely be beneficial if we need it during the game I think it'll definitely bring in a kind of different Dynamic than it has before having that timeout with 2 minutes left but I I could see how it'll definitely be beneficial in some situations do you guys have any thoughts on the updated alterate uniforms PR oh yeah those are sweet those are sweet they're awesome yeah those are cool a little bit about you've been to like when you played in Michigan a lot of people from the outside world they consider these experience games do you you think when your career is over you're going to remember playing in places like the big house like Memorial state absolutely I mean these are these are fun this is college football like this is what it's all about playing Big Time college ball I mean it's really fun and we we have the opportunity to to glorify God on the biggest stage like that's something that not a lot of people get and we're we really are are blessed and thankful that we get an opportunity like this and you know obviously these are games I think every game we're going to remember but you know these these big ones these first games like it's my last season I think I'm going to remember every single one of these but yeah it's it's great we get a big platform big big opportunity and we just want to glorify God during this process and it's just it's cool to to get get these opportunities so you probably watch games on Saturday I'm going to assume does it also give you a little fuel to your fire as you go down to Texas when you see an upset start the season anyway 100% I mean we're we're looking at it like game one it's just game one for us yeah we're playing a big team but we're just going to execute that's that's our goal go down there and execute what we know we can do in just another game and it happens to be against the big opponent but yes seeing seeing an upset to start the season is awesome and it's just a reminder anything can happen it's just football at the end of the day thanks guys appreciate you